Wearing a mask
by Dannee-san
Summary: Some thoughts of Minako during the first season, when she is posing as the princess


AN Hi, this is a little fic set in teh first season. It's Manga based. Minako is posing as the princess and this is kinda how I thought her thoughts would be.  
  
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"Now were is she?" Rei exclaimed. "I don't get it! If we can all get here on time, then why can't she?"  
"Calm down, Rei," Ami tried to soothe the fiery priestess. "You're not making allowance for difference in character. We're only five girls. There are thousands of people on earth who run late regularly just like Usagi. I'm sure she'll be here soon."  
"She'd better," the Shinto priestess muttered. Silence reigned after that, only disturbed by Rei's nails clicking on the table surface betraying her impatience.  
Minako looked around the small circle of girls and smiled. Ami, as usual, had buried her nose in a book of some sorts. Makoto was staring off in the distance fantasizing about some boy or other. And Rei was grumbling underneath her breath about the 'blond Meatball Head devoid of brains'.  
It felt good being among old friends again, even though the reason of the reunion was far from pleasant. Still, Minako was pleased to know, that, although her friends's memories of the Silver Millennium had not been restored yet, they showed every familiar character trait of old. She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.  
"Are you alright, princess?" Luna asked.  
Minako smiled, hiding the slight pang she felt at being addressed as such. "I'm fine, Luna, don't worry. And, please, don't bother with any formalities, just call me Minako."  
Rei slapped her hand on the table, cutting off any remark Luna might have made. "And she's embarrassing us in front of the princess, no less! Doesn't that girl know any courtesy at all?!"  
"Really, Rei, it's fine. I don't consider her conduct an insult." She tuned out any other protests from the Senshi of Mars and simply continued her strand of thoughts.  
She wished she could just give all of them their memory back so she could stop pretending. But she knew Usagi was not yet ready for the burden her position as princess of the Moon would put on her. Despite her temporary ignorance, the real princess's character had remained surprisingly the same. Princes Selenity had been kind, enthusiastic about everything that interested her, which were not the things her mother or the Senshi had considered part of appropriate education, and very lovingly. Giving hugs was one of her favorite hobbies.  
She missed it all so much. True, there were times when the other girls forgot she was (acting as) the princess and things were as they had been once, the five of them just fooling around, teasing each other, but they mostly kept their distance. Except Usagi.  
Some people would never change.  
Like Ami. She still read and studied anything she could get her hands on and didn't want to have anything to do with boys. If she remembered the time she spent with Zoicite (of course she had always insisted nothing had happened between the two) she would combust with shame.  
And Makoto. She was crushing on a different guy every week, never finding the right one. And she never would, as Nephlite was already dead. The generals of the prince had been under the spell of the Negaverse since before the final battle in the Silver Millennium. It was such a petty, as Nephlite had perfectly matched Makoto's strength. Now, Makoto would never find anyone who was such a perfect match.  
Nor Rei. Jadeite was the only one to be able to control the fiery temper of that girl. Even in the Silver Millennium Rei's temper had been legendary. Especially the princess had often been the object of her fury. Like when Selenity had snuck down to Earth again to meet her prince.  
Minako smiled ruefully. If their princess had never done that, they would never have met their generals. Pain stabbed at her heart at the memory of Kunzite. It was cruel to have to see him as her enemy now. When she had first seen him with the other generals, ready to attack the Moon kingdom, her heart had broken. She hated Beryl no ends. That witch had taken her love away. Her friends, her princess, her home. And now, now that her memory was back, and she was among the people who were her reincarnated friends, she was still not free. Forced to be the princess.  
She froze. What if the prince regained his memory? She was fairly certain Tuxedo Kamen, Chiba Mamoru, was in fact prince Endymion. She didn't think she could convince a reawakened prince that she was his princess. He would jeopardize his love, if she didn't stop him. When she had first appeared before the Senshi, she thought all was lost because of him. Something of recognition had shone in his eyes, when the crescent moon briefly appeared on Usagi's forehead. She had quickly chased him away.  
"Minako?" Ami's voice jolted the girl out of her reverie.  
"Yes?" she said.  
"Are you sure you're alright? You seem... distant."  
The imposter princess focused on her hands in her lap. Yes, she was distant. Because of this foolish masquerade. She know very well, she had been the one to come up with the idea, but that didn't mean she liked it. She had tried to convince Artemis into letting the girls remember, but she had to agree with him. It was not safe. Exposing the princess's true identity now, would be unwise.  
It would seem she would have to keep up the charade a little longer.  
"Hey, guys, did I miss anything?" Usagi's voice piped up. Minako turned to face the slightly breathless girl. The true princess. It looked like she had run all the way to the temple.  
"How can you?" Rei bit. "How can we start a meeting, when our infamous leader runs late?! Again!"  
Usagi's face fell. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to be late. I even left the house on time. If it wasn't for that baka!" She spat the word. "I would have been here on time." It also sounded like she had run into Mamoru again. Minako wished she could be Sailor Venus again. Then she could use her planetary powers to bring those two together. On the other hand, Usagi and Mamoru were age old lovers. They shouldn't need Minako's meddling.  
She laughed. "Don't worry, Usagi. Boys can be a nuisance, I know." She grinned at the other blond girl. "Thank you, V-chan!" Usagi exclaimed and swooped down to hug her newest friend.  
Minako answered the embrace, fighting back tears. This was so much like Selenity, she could almost see herself in the palace on the Moon. "That's okay, Usagi," she whispered. That's okay, princess. 


End file.
